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“Let freedom ring…” January 19, 2008

This morning I was sitting in homeroom when the announcements were played. We stood for the pledge, stood for a moment of “quiet reflection,” sat and listened to the meetings of the day, listened to students who won the character awards. And then. We watched a video, similar to the one that I’ve posted…a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

My eyes welled up with tears as I listened, I think for the first time as an adult, to the “I have a dream” speech. Words with so much power. Words that matter. Words that mattered!

Through my tears I saw all the color in my classroom. Black kids, white kids, purple haired kids. Sitting together, laughing together, watching this tribute together. Words that matter. This is why we’re teaching English. This is what my students will understand when they leave my classroom. Our words can make a difference. Isn’t that the point?